Header$type=social_icons

Archive Pages Design$type=blogging

New Year Prem Recap: Reds Clinch Late Win; Lingard Scores Stunner As United Return To Winning Ways

All the action from the first day of 2018, as Liverpool leave things very (very) late at Burnley Everton 0-2 Manchester United Anth...

All the action from the first day of 2018, as Liverpool
leave things very (very) late at Burnley

Everton 0-2
Manchester United

Anthony Martial's terrific goal in the second half helped
end a run of three consecutive draws for Manchester United and downed Everton
at Goodison Park.

After a shabby first half devoid of action, Jose Mourinho's
side were a vastly improved unit after the break and took a deserved lead via
the 22-year-old just before the hour mark. It was a goal made in France:
Martial was teed up by a lovely square pass from Paul Pogba, before steadying
himself and curling a beautiful effort into the top corner from just inside the
box.

That goal sparked the game into life, and Everton were
forced to come out of their shells. Juan Mata struck the outside of a post from
distance, but Sam Allardyce's Toffees had their own moments and Oumar Niasse arguably
should have done better with a near-post header that he diverted wide.

Jordan Pickford impressed for Everton throughout but even
the Toffees' No.1 was powerless to prevent another brilliant goal from Jesse
Lingard 10 minutes from time. After collecting Pogba's pass, the Englishman
drove towards goal and cut inside before unleashing a fine effort into the top
corner. Much better for Mourinho.

Goal: Martial 57', Lingard 81'

Fact

Anthony Martial has been directly involved in 6 goals in his
last 5 appearances against Everton in all competitions (4 goals, 2 assists)

Brighton 2-2
Bournemouth

Callum Wilson rescued a point for Bournemouth with a
comically scruffy late equaliser, as Eddie Howe's side twice battled back from
going behind at the Amex Stadium.

Anthony Knockaert had put Brighton ahead with his first goal
since mid-October after just five minutes, smashing home at the back post after
Jose Izquierdo's cross evaded everybody else. But despite dominating the
opening half-hour, familiar failings came back to bite the Seagulls.

Before the game only two Premier League sides had conceded
more goals from set-pieces than Brighton – a particularly ominous statistic
considering that 35% of Bournemouth's goals had been achieved from dead-balls.
Sure enough, Steve Cook looped in a 33rd-minute header from a corner to level
things up.

Brighton flew out of the traps after half-time, though, and
were back ahead within three minutes of the restart when Izquierdo squared for
Glenn Murray to lash in his sixth league goal of the campaign. But they
couldn't hang on: with 10 minutes remaining, Cherries striker Wilson got the
last touch of an almighty goalmouth scramble to salvage a draw from the first
top-flight game of 2018.

Goals: Knockaert 5', Murray 48' -- Cook 33', Wilson 79'

Fact

Callum Wilson now holds the Premier League record as the
highest-scoring player (16 goals) without assisting a single goal, overtaking
Branko Strupar (15 goals, 0 assists)

Burnley 1-2
Liverpool

Ragnar Klavan's bundled winner in the 94th minute snared all
three points for Liverpool, who were forced to dig deep at Turf Moor having
conceded a late equaliser.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson thought he'd earned Burnley a point
when he headed home an 87th-minute leveller, cancelling out Sadio Mane's
stunner on the hour mark – his first goal since netting twice on Champions
League duty in the 7-0 demolition of Spartak Moscow on December 6.

Burnley's good work was undone in unlikely circumstances,
however, when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's deep free-kick to the back post was met
by Dejan Lovren. The ball looked to be goalbound, but his defensive partner
Klavan made sure by stooping to head home a late, late winner – making him the
Premier League's first ever Estonian goalscorer.

Liverpool are now six points ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal,
having played a game more.

Goals: Mane 61', Klavan 90+4' -- Gudmundsson 87'

Fact

Liverpool have now gone 16 games in all competitions without
defeat (W11 D5) – their longest unbeaten run under Jurgen Klopp

Leicester 3-0
Huddersfield

A superb second-half showing helped Leicester to a
commanding win over Huddersfield at the King Power Stadium, as Claude Puel's
side made ground on seventh-placed Burnley.

All three of the Foxes' goals came after the interval
following a forgettable first half – but they were worth the wait. The deadlock
was broken in the 53rd minute by an in-form Riyad Mahrez, who gloriously turned
home Marc Albrighton's lofted cross with a sensational first-time volley.

Jamie Vardy was missing with a groin problem, but his
replacement Islam Slimani put in a fine showing in his place. Mahrez turned
provider for his compatriot's first Premier League goal of the season with a
fine through-ball which Slimani galloped onto before chipping a fine finish
beyond Jonas Lossl.

There was yet more cheer for Leicester with the introduction
of 'new' signing Adrien Silva, who came on with five minutes remaining with his
registration finally having been rubber-stamped this morning. The Portugal
international had, of course, been denied the chance to feature up to this
point because his summer transfer went through 14 seconds too late.

Silva could celebrate another goal with his new team-mates
in injury time when Albrighton lashed home in the 92nd minute from a deflected
Demarai Gray cross. Every cloud, and all that.

Goals: Mahrez 53', Slimani 60', Marc Albrington 90+2'

Fact

Marc Albrighton has both scored and assisted in a Premier
League game for just the second time (also Aug 2015 vs Sunderland)

Stoke 0-1
Newcastle

A result that could prove too much to take for Stoke's
board, who face another evening mulling over the future of manager Mark Hughes
after this crippling defeat to Newcastle at the bet365 Stadium.

Ayoze Perez grabbed the match-winner 20 minutes from time
after a game of huffing and puffing, converting Jacob Murphy's deadly low cross
to earn Rafa Benitez's side a vital three points that pulls them four clear of
the drop zone.

Stoke's defeat will weigh heavier still after Hughes's
admission that he played a weakened team at Chelsea to field his strongest team
possible for this crunch fixture. The Potters have conceded nine more goals
than any other Premier League team this season, and have already shipped more
than they did in their entire 2012/13 and 2014/15 campaigns.

Goal: Perez 73'

Fact

Stoke have now conceded the first goal of the game on 15
occasions in the Premier League this season; more often than any other team